Description
This event, originally titled ‘JFK and the American Century’, took place on 7 June 2026. The information below is correct as of the publication date.
Fredrik Logevall in conversation with Anita Anand.
John F. Kennedy’s early life was a journey of ambition, identity, and discovery, raised in a bustling Irish-American household in Boston to the tumult of war and political awakening. During this JLF session, historian Fredrik Logevall captured the making of America’s youngest elected president with Anita Anand, and the rise of modern America amid the global upheavals of the twentieth century.
This event took place as part of JLF London 2026.
About JLF London:
JLF London returned to the British Library in 2026 for its 13th edition, with an exciting line-up of speakers and sessions. JLF London embodies the multi-faceted spirit of the mother festival - the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, with its unique celebration of books and ideas, inclusiveness and sense of community. Like all JLF international editions, the London programme brings alive South Asia’s unique multilingual literary heritage and blends it with local literary highlights.
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Speaker Bios:
Fredrik Logevall is the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of History and International Affairs at Harvard University. He is the author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956, which won the Elizabeth Longford Prize, was named Biography of the Year by The Times (UK), and was recognized as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Anita Anand is an award-winning journalist, acclaimed author, and co-host of the globally renowned Empire podcast, with over 50 million downloads. Her radio career includes Any Answers on BBC Radio 4, Drive, Doubletake and the Anita Anand Show, Saturday Live, The Westminster Hour, Beyond Westminster, Midweek and Woman's Hour on Radio 4. On BBC television she has presented The Daily Politics, The Sunday Politics and Newsnight. She is the author of Sophia: Princess Suffragette, Revolutionary and The Patient Assassin, which won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for 2020 and co-author of Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond.
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